Norman Fell

Norman Fell
Fell in 1970
Born
Norman Noah Feld

(1924-03-24)March 24, 1924
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 14, 1998(1998-12-14) (aged 74)
Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Alma materTemple University
OccupationActor
Years active1955–1998
TelevisionThree's Company
Spouses
Dolores Pikoos
​
​
(m. 1951; div. 1954)​
Diane Weiss
​
​
(m. 1961; div. 1973)​
Karen Weingard
​
​
(m. 1975; div. 1995)​

Norman Fell (born Norman Noah Feld; March 24, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American actor of film and television, most famous for his role as landlord Mr. Roper on the sitcom Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers, and his film roles in Ocean's 11 (1960), The Graduate (1967), and Bullitt (1968). Early in his career, he was billed as Norman Feld.[1]

Early life

Fell was born on March 24, 1924, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Samuel and Edna Feld. His father was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, and his maternal grandparents were Russian Jews.[2] He attended Central High School of Philadelphia.[3] He studied drama at Temple University after serving as a tail gunner on a B-25 Mitchell in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.[4] He later honed his craft at The Actors Studio[5] and the Black Hills Players.[6]

Career

Aside from Fell's best-known television work, he also played minor character roles in several films, including the original Ocean's 11 with the Rat Pack, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, PT 109 with Cliff Robertson as John F. Kennedy, Mike Nichols' The Graduate, Bullitt with Steve McQueen, and Catch-22 (as Sergeant Towser). He appeared alongside Ronald Reagan in Reagan's last film, The Killers with Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager, in which Reagan portrays a villain who slaps Angie Dickinson. In 1992, he starred as a hotel owner in a comedy film titled Hexed.

Cast of NBC series Needles and Pins, 1973. Bottom, from left: Deirdre Lenihan, Fell. Top, from left: Bernie Kopell, Sandra Deel, and Louis Nye.

On TV, Fell portrayed Mike in Joe and Mabel (1955–1956),[7]: 536  Howie Fletcher in The Tom Ewell Show (1960–1961), Meyer Meyer in 87th Precinct (1961–1962),[7]: 302  Charles Wilentz in Dan August (1970–1971),[7] Nathan Davidson in Needles and Pins (1973),[7]: 748  Bernie Solkin in Executive Suite (1976–1977),[7]: 316  Richie's father in Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (1978),[7]: 893  and Ben Cooper in Teachers Only (1982–1983).[7]: 1056 

From 1977 to 1979, Fell portrayed the main characters' landlord Stanley Roper on the hit sitcom Three's Company[7]: 1080–1081  (a role with some similarities to hard-edged, suspicious landlord Mr. McCleery in The Graduate, who was on the lookout for reasons to evict Benjamin Braddock, like Mr. Roper did with Jack Tripper). He continued the role as the co-lead with Audra Lindley playing his wife, Helen, on The Ropers,[7]: 910  a spin-off which lasted two seasons, airing from 1979 to 1980.

Fell won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actor in a Supporting Role in 1979 for Three's Company.[8] He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his dramatic performance as the boxing trainer of Tom Jordache (Nick Nolte) in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.[9] His final television appearance was a cameo as Mr. Roper on an episode of the sitcom Ellen in 1997.

Personal life

On May 21, 1950, Fell married Dolores Pikoos in Philadelphia.[10] They divorced in 1954 and Fell married and divorced two subsequent times. He had two daughters, Tracy and Mara, with his second wife and adopted a son with his third wife, Karen Weingard.[4]

Illness and death

On November 26, 1998 (Thanksgiving Day), Fell was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer) after becoming too weak to get out of bed at his Marina del Rey home.[4] He died at the Motion Picture and Television's retirement home in Woodland Hills, California on December 14, 1998, at the age of 74.[11]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1954 Studio One Juror No. 1 "Twelve Angry Men" (TV episode; teleplay)
1957 The Violators Ray
1959 Pork Chop Hill Sergeant Coleman
1960 Inherit the Wind WGN Radio Technician
The Rat Race Telephone Repairman
Ocean's 11 Peter Rheimer
1963 PT 109 Machinist Edmund Drewitch
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Detective at Grogan's Crash Site
1964 The Killers Mickey Farmer
Quick, Before it Melts George Snell
The Young Warriors Sergeant Wadley
1967 Fitzwilly Oberblatz
The Graduate Mr. McCleery
1968 Sergeant Ryker Sergeant Max Winkler Archive footage
The Secret War of Harry Frigg Captain Stanley
The Young Runaways Mr. Donford
Bullitt Captain Baker
1969 If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium Harve Blakely
1970 Catch-22 First Sergeant Towser
The Boatniks Max
1973 The Stone Killer Lieutenant Les Daniels
Charley Varrick Mr. Garfinkle
1974 Airport 1975 Bill
1975 Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold Stanley Nagel
1976 Guardian of the Wilderness Doctor
1978 Rabbit Test Segoynia's Father
The End Dr. Samuel Krugman
1981 Crunch
On the Right Track The Mayor
Heartbreak High Jack McGuire
Paternity Larry
1985 Transylvania 6-5000 Mac Turner
1987 Stripped to Kill Ray
1989 C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. Tyler
1990 You're Driving Me Crazy Doctor 'F'
1991 With Friends Like These... Narrator Direct-to-video
The Boneyard Shepard
For the Boys Sam Schiff
1992 The Naked Truth The Dentist
1993 Hexed Herschel Levine
1996 The Destiny of Marty Fine Daryl
Beach House The Landlord

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1954 The Elgin Hour Morton Season 1 Episode 5: "Hearts and Hollywood"
Westinghouse Studio One (2) Foreman & Juror #1 (1) Season 6 Episode 18: "A Criminal Design"
(2) Season 7 Episode 1: "Twelve Angry Men"
The Philco Television Playhouse Season 6 Episode 17: "Miss Look-Alike"
Goodyear Television Playhouse Season 3 Episode 11: "The Huntress"
1955 Westinghouse Studio One (2) Jake (1) Season 7 Episode 17: "Grandma Rolled Her Own"
(2) Season 7 Episode 28: "Dominique"
1956 The Alcoa Hour Marvie Season 1 Episode 13: "Finkle's Comet"
Joe and Mabel (1) Mike
(2) (3) (4) Harry		 (1) Season 1 Episode 1*: "Joe's Bankbook" (aired June 26)
(2) Season 1 Episode: "The Line-Up" (aired July 10)
(3) Season 1 Episode 11*: "Mabel's Voice" (aired September 4)
(4) Episode: "Mabel's Legacy" (aired September 18)
* Episodes were first produced in 1955 but were thrown out, with CBS starting completely over in 1956. See show homepage for details.
Star Tonight Sharp Season 2 Episode 39: "Faith and Patience"
Playwrights '56 Nick Zervas Season 1 Episode 19: "Nick and Letty"
The United States Steel Hour Detective Season 4 Episode 7: "Hunted"
1957 Westinghouse Studio One Season 9 Episode 40: "Love Me to Pieces"
1959 Hallmark Hall of Fame Wint Selby TV movie: "Ah, Wilderness!"
1960 Johnny Staccato Bill Lentz Season 1 Episode 17: "The Man in the Pit"
Perry Mason Caspar Pedley Season 3 Episode 17: "The Case of the Mythical Monkeys"
The Untouchables Reiner Season 2 Episode 1: "The Rusty Heller Story"
The Tom Ewell Show Howie Fletcher (1) Season 1 Episode 4: "Tom Takes Over"
(2) Season 1 Episode 6: "The Second Phone"
(3) Season 1 Episode 7: "The Handwriting on the Wall"
(4) Season 1 Episode 8: "The Spelling Bee"
(5) Season 1 Episode 11: "Salesmanship Lesson"
1961 The Law and Mr. Jones Fred Cook Season 1 Episode 18: "Lethal Weapons"
The Tab Hunter Show Emory Farnsworth Season 1 Episode 23: "Me and My Shadow"
Peter Gunn Danny Carmichael Season 3 Episode 20: "A Kill and a Half"
The Aquanauts Oliver Pappas Season 1 Episode 25: "The Rainbow Adventure"
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Cole Season 2 Episode 31: "Be It Ever So Humble"
Checkmate Shep Stryker Season 1 Episode 34: "Hot Wind in a Cold Town"
Cain's Hundred Frank Driscoll Season 1 Episode 13: "Final Judgment: "Alexander Marish"
1961–1962 87th Precinct Detective Meyer Meyer Regular cast (30 episodes)
1962 Sam Benedict Alex McConnell Season 1 Episode 15: "Where There's a Will"
1963 The Eleventh Hour Lionel Season 1 Episode 22: "Five Moments Out of Time"
The Lloyd Bridges Show (1) Piggy
(2) Mel Baxter		 (1) Season 1 Episode 25: "Gym in January"
(2) Season 1 Episode 26: "Sheridan Square"
The Dick Powell Show Dr. Joseph Greer Season 2 Episode 28: "The Last of the Big Spenders"
The Lieutenant Jerry Belman Season 1 Episode 2: "Cool of the Evening"
Kraft Suspense Theatre Sergeant Max Winkler (1) Season 1 Episode 1: "The Case Against Paul Ryker: Part 1"
(2) Season 1 Episode 2: "The Case Against Paul Ryker: Part 2"
East Side/West Side Eddie Best Season 1 Episode 9: "Not Bad for Openers"
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Al Norman Season 2 Episode 9: "The Dividing Wall"
1964 The Defenders George Capp Season 3 Episode 23: "Moment of Truth"
The Hanged Man Gaylord Grebb TV movie
1964–1965 Ben Casey (1) Arnold Halbert
(2) Manny Berger		 (1) Season 3 Episode 18: "I'll Get on My Ice Floe and Wave Goodbye" (1964)
(2) Season 4 Episode 15: "Where Does the Boomerang Go?" (1965)
1964–1966 Twelve O'Clock High (1) Lieutenant Canello
(2) Major Praeger		 (1) Season 1 Episode 14: "An Act of War" (1964)
(2) Season 3 Episode 7: "The All-American" (1966)
1965 Mr. Novak Barney Sanders Season 2 Episode 29: "And Then I Wrote..."
The Trials of O'Brien Mickey the Miser Season 1 Episode 9: "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"
Dr. Kildare (1) Dr. Keith Myers
(2) (3) (4) (5) Arnold Vitnack		 (1) Season 4 Episode 31: "A Reverence for Life"
(2) Season 5 Episode 20: "Fathers and Daughters"
(3) Season 5 Episode 21: "A Gift of Love"
(4) Season 5 Episode 22: "The Tent Dwellers"
(5) Season 5 Episode 23: "Going Home"
The Fugitive (1) Lieutenant Germak
(2) Lieutenant Green		 (1) Season 2 Episode 25: "May God Have Mercy"
(2) Season 3 Episode 12: "Stranger in the Mirror"
1965–1969 The F.B.I. (1) Ted Cullinan
(2) Ken Haney
(3) Victor Green		 (1) Season 1 Episode 11: "All the Streets Are Silent" (1965)
(2) Season 3 Episode 27: "The Mercenary" (1968)
(3) Season 4 Episode 22: "The Catalyst" (1969)
1966 The Wild Wild West Jeremiah Ratch Season 1 Episode 20: "The Night of the Whirring Death"
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Mark Slate Season 2 Episode 23: "The Moonglow Affair"
A Man Called Shenandoah Captain Arnold Dudley Season 1 Episode 24: "Muted Fifes, Muffled Drums"
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Eddie Carr Season 4 Episode 7: "Dear Deductible"
Bewitched Dr. Freud Season 3 Episode 10: "I'd Rather Twitch Than Fight"
1967 The Invaders Neal Taft Season 1 Episode 11: "The Betrayed"
Ghostbreakers Lieutenant P.J. Hartunain TV movie
I Spy Karin Season 3 Episode 4: "The Medarra Block"
Mannix Daniel Brewer Season 1 Episode 10: "Coffin for a Clown"
1967–1969 Ironside (1) Captain Lauren
(2) Lieutenant Haines		 (1) Season 1 Episode 6: "An Inside Job" (1967)
(2) Season 3 Episode 7: "Seeing Is Believing" (1969)
1968 That Girl Bernie Perperni Season 2 Episode 19: "Sixty-Five on the Aisle"
Judd, for the Defense Harry Green Season 2 Episode 5: "The Sound of the Plastic Axe"
1969 The Name of the Game Winston Polk Season 2 Episode 2: "A Hard Case of the Blues"
Three's a Crowd Norman, the Elevator Operator TV movie
1969–1972 Love, American Style (1) Jack 'J.K.' Lewis
(2) Ralph Albertson		 (1) Season 1 Episode 9 (Segment: "Love and the Good Deal") (1969)
(2) Season 4 Episode 8 (Segment: "Love and the Clinic") (1972)
1970 Double Jeopardy Sergeant Charles Wilentz TV movie
1970–1971 Dan August Sergeant Charles Wilentz 26 episodes
1971 The Partridge Family Mr. Bruner Season 2 Episode 4: "The Undergraduate"
1972 O'Hara, U.S. Treasury Leo Walsh Season 1 Episode 22: "Operation – Smokescreen"
The Heist Pat Dillon TV movie
McCloud Lieutenant Ed Feldman Season 3 Episode 3: "The Park Avenue Rustlers"
1973 Marcus Welby, M.D. George Manning Season 4 Episode 20: "Catch a Ring That Isn't There"
Going Places Mr. Shaw TV movie
Needles and Pins Nathan Davidson Regular cast (14 episodes)
Griff Season 1 Episode 10: "Hammerlock"
1974 Medical Center Frank Season 5 Episode 22: "The World's Balloon"
Thursday's Game Melvin Leonard TV movie
1974–1977 Police Story (1) Sergeant Dell
(2) Lieutenant Alfred Thornwood		 (1) Season 2 Episode 8: "Wolf" (1974)
(2) Season 4 Episode 19: "One of Our Cops is Crazy"
1975 Death Stalk Frank Cody TV movie
McMillan & Wife Allan Kovacs Season 4 Episode 6: "Love, Honor and Swindle"
Lucas Tanner Abe Lydecker Season 1 Episode 19: "The Noise of a Quiet Weekend"
Rhoda Dr. Henry Gerber (1) Season 1 Episode 21: "Chest Pains"
(2) Season 2 Episode 3: "Ida's Doctor"
Cannon Police Lieutenant Season 5 Episode 15: "The Games Children Play"
Starsky & Hutch Sammy Grovner Season 1 Episode 15: "Shootout"
1976 Rich Man, Poor Man Smitty Mini-Series
(1) Season 1 Episode 3: Part III: Chapter 5"
(2) Season 1 Episode 4: "Part IV: Chapter 6"
(3) Season 1 Episode 5: "Part V: Chapter 7"
(4) Season 1 Episode 9: "Part VIII: Chapters 11 and 12"
Emmy Award (nominated)
Ellery Queen Errol Keyes Season 1 Episode 19: "The Adventure of the Tyrant of Tin Pan Alley"
Risko Max TV movie; Unsold TV Pilot
The Bionic Woman Milt Bigelow Season 2 Episode 2: "In This Corner, Jaime Sommers"
The Streets of San Francisco Juror (1) Season 5 Episode 1: "The Thrill Killers: Part 1"
(2) Season 5 Episode 2: "The Thrill Killers: Part 2"
Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours Mr. Brockelman TV movie
Switch Marty Season 2 Episode 7: "Gaffing the Skim"
Executive Suite Bernie Season 1 Episode 10: "Re: The Sounds of Silence"
1976–1981 Three's Company Stanley Roper 56 episodes; Golden Globe Award (won)
1977 The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams Mitch Morgan Season 1 Episode 7: "The Redemption of Ben"
Charlie's Angels Sammy Season 2 Episode 1: "Angels in Paradise"
1978 The Love Boat Mr. McCoy, Julie's Father Season 2 Episode 3: "Julie's Dilemma/Who's Who/Rocky"
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Bernie Raymond Mini-Series
Season 1 Episode 7: "Part VII (1960–1967)"
1979–1980 The Ropers Stanley Roper 28 episodes
1980 Getting There Jim TV movie
This Year's Blonde Pat Toledo TV movie
For the Love of It Hall TV movie
1982 Matt Houston Herman Season 1 Episode 9: "Joey's Here"
1982–1983 Teachers Only Ben Cooper 21 episodes
1983 Uncommon Valor Garvin TV movie
1984 The Jesse Owens Story Marty Forkins TV movie
1985 Simon & Simon Leo Nyquist Season 5 Episode 11: "Facets"
1985–1986 Crazy Like a Fox (2) Inspector Peyton (1) Season 2 Episode 7: "Some Day My Prints Will Come" (1985)
(2) Season 2 Episode 22: "A Fox at the Races" (1986)
1985–1988 Murder, She Wrote (1) Vince Shackman
(2) Lieutenant Rupp		 (1) Season 2 Episode 8: "Dead Heat" (1985)
(2) Season 4 Episode 19: "Just Another Fish Story" (1988)
1986 Webster Charlie Season 3 Episode 21: "Almost Home"
The Twilight Zone Eddie O'Hara Season 2 Episode 6: "The Convict's Piano"
1987 Magnum, P.I. David Albertson Season 7 Episode 15: "Solo Flight"
Matlock Dr. Norman Radburn Season 1 Episode 24: "The Doctors"
Out of This World Dr. Hauser Season 1 Episode 3: "The Nightmare"
Sledge Hammer! Doctor Season 2 Episode 13: "They Call Me Mr. Trunk"
1988–1989 The Boys Dave (1) Season 1 Episode 1: "Gene's Problem" (1988)
(2) Season 1 Episode 2: "Some Don't Like It Hot" (1989)
(3) Season 1 Episode 5: "Friar's Club" (1989)
(4) Season 1 Episode 8: "Labor Day" (1989)
1989 Hooperman Pete Cosgrove, Ventriloquist Season 2 Episode 16: "Dog Day Afternoon, Morning and Night"
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1) Fred Van Winkle
(2) Ted Bull		 (1) Season 1 Episode 25: "Fred Van Winkle"
(2) Season 1 Episode 44: "Texas Tea"
1990 Good Grief Slezar Season 1 Episode 7: "The Good, the Bad and the Mariachis"
1993 Flying Blind Employer #2 Season 1 Episode 14: "Panic in Neil's Park"
1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Landlord Season 5 Episode 2: "What's Will Got to Do With It?"
1995 Family Reunion: A Relative Nightmare Grandpa Joe Dooley TV movie
1997 The Naked Truth Himself Season 3 Episode 3: "Bully for Dave"
Ellen Mr. Roper Season 5 Episode 3: "Roommates"
1998 Life With Louie Vic Season 3 Episode 11: "Blinded by Love" (voice)

References

  1. ^ Norman Feld Internet Broadway Database.
  2. ^ "Family Search". FamilySearch.
  3. ^ "Singers Ask for City Base". The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 1, 1956. p. 17. Retrieved July 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c Lipton, Michael A. (January 11, 1999). "Grouch Potato". People. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  5. ^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan. p. 278. ISBN 978-0-0254-2650-4.
  6. ^ "Black Hills Players Open Season Saturday". Rapid City Journal. June 16, 1950. p. 4. Retrieved July 27, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  8. ^ "Golden Globe Awards for 'Norman Fell'". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  9. ^ "Awards Search: Norman Fell". Emmys. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  10. ^ "Dolores Pikoos Becomes Bride of Norman Feld". The News-Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. May 24, 1950. p. 28. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "TV, Movie Actor Norman Fell Dies". The Washington Post. December 16, 1998.
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